Liverpool experienced a transformative summer off the back of their title-winning campaign, with 10 players arriving – but how does Arne Slot‘s squad depth compare to his rivals?
Liverpool issued a statement of intent by signing Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Giovanni Leoni and Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Freddie Woodman and Armin Pecsi also arrived to bolster the goalkeeping ranks, while teenage striker Will Wright swapped Salford for Anfield to take Liverpool’s spending to £446.2 million.
Richard Hughes‘ response to his critics was emphatic as he future-proofed a number of departments with some of the world’s best players in their positions.
There will always be a demand for more, but this transfer window has blown all others out of the window as the club backed Slot to build on the success from his debut season.
With four competitions to juggle, this is what the squad depth now looks like:
Goalkeepers: 3
Defenders: 8
Midfielders: 7
Forwards: 7
Players in first team squad: 25
As you can see in the graphic above, Liverpool have at least two players for every position which Slot deemed “ideal,” and he will trust his options more than he did last season.
There is more versatility than the graphic shows, but we wanted to emphasise the first-choice starters and those next in line – it would look rather messy with every player’s alternative roles!
The turnover has been significant with Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Jarell Quansah, Caoimhin Kelleher, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harvey Elliott all departing, among others.
And it goes without saying that the tragic death of Diogo Jota has also left a hole in the dressing room that will always be felt deeply at the club.
Opportunity, however, now beckons for 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha on the left wing, and he has already showcased his ability to operate under pressure with the winner at Newcastle.
The luxury of having Ekitike and Isak up top will be lost on few, as they can rotate for one another or play together – thanks for that, Newcastle – that flexibility will be key.
Dominik Szoboszlai has already shown off his versatility with roles at right-back, deep midfield and as the No. 10 – expect him to move around a lot and be hard to drop out of the XI.
There will be a slight concern that Slot does not have as deep a squad to turn to off the bench this time around, which will be compounded by any injuries.
Liverpool certainly injected quality into their side during the transfer window, and now the fitness department’s job is to ensure the players can sustain playing every three days for months on end.
How do Liverpool’s rivals compare?
Liverpool have a comparable squad size to Arsenal and Man City (25), but Chelsea, of course, leads the way with the most players (factoring in likely departures and exiled players):
Arsenal
Players in first team squad: 25
Goalkeepers: 2
Defenders: 8
Midfielders: 6
Forwards: 9
Arsenal signed eight first-team players over the summer, finishing with a higher net spend than Liverpool, and addressed every department in doing so.
The squad is deeper than it has been in the past and any notion of Arteta peddling the injury rhetoric as an excuse should be a thing of the past – though, we’re not getting our hopes up.
Viktor Gyokeres was an interesting investment up top, and they really struggled to sell unwanted players. The pressure is on for them not to finish the season as a bridesmaid again.
Chelsea
Players in first team squad: 28
Goalkeepers: 3
Defenders: 10
Midfielders: 6
Forwards: 9
Chelsea have more players than any club in the world would know what to do with, yet they always run to the transfer market as a solution.
They are not short on defenders, which makes the suggestion of needing a replacement for Levi Colwill (ACL) laughable, nor versatile forwards, ensuring they will consistently have a strong bench.
Fatigue from the Club World Cup will inevitably continue to take its toll.
Man City
Players in first team squad: 25
Goalkeepers: 3
Defenders: 7
Midfielders: 8
Forwards: 7
Signed talented and exciting young players but their transfer strategy was distorted by the arrivals of Rayan Cherki and Gianluigi Donnarumma, who are at odds with Pep Guardiola’s style.
City’s website claims they have just two forwards and 13 midfielders, but we make it out to be seven and eight, respectively. Like Liverpool, though, they have two listed centre-forwards. The others have three or more.
Liverpool have an average squad age of 25.12 years, with a balance of seasoned veterans and experienced young players after a summer of investing in the squad’s next evolution.
As ever, it will be a battle of attrition and consistency across the full season, and Liverpool’s medical department showed they are capable of keeping players on the pitch – let’s hope they do it again.